Once upon a Fall
by recchinon
Summary: "I met that guy for the first time in a autumn night" - a love story between a Human and Vampire in Meiji era.
1. 秋の夜 初めて出会う あの男

**Note: **_**I wrote this for an IchiHime Fanfic contest in Deviantart. The theme is: Ichigo as Werewolf/Vampire and Orihime as human, and the setting is around 1800s. Well my setting is Meiji era in Japan (around 1868-1912) :P I am blind about Europe or America's history so I couldn't possibly write anything that set there that's why I chose Japan for the setting. My National History's score when I was at school was pretty good (actually I am a Rekijo) so my historical references is almost 99% correct (not 100% correct because I have to change few things for the sake of the story itself) Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

Orihime Inoue sighed tiredly as she wiped the sweat on her forehead with the sleeve of her old kimono. It had been almost dinner time and she hadn't even had eaten anything since breakfast time. Not that she normally had something for lunch, but today she had work somehow harder and usual and though she had tried to ignore the sound her empty stomach made, it was kinda hard to ignore the ache she felt. She looked at the sky, it was going to be dark soon and she ought to hurry up going back to the clinic where she worked at. Her boss would be worried if she didn't come back soon from doing some errand.

She bought some tofu, just like what Ishida-san told her too, too bad the usual Tofu shop where they normally buy some tofu had been closed for today so she had to go to the other shop in the next town. She thought she could be back before sunset but apparently she forgot that it was not summer anymore, the day had been shorter and the night had been longer and darker during autumn. Plus, there had been rumor about young girls to be foud dead lately. She definitely needed to hurry.

Orihime half ran back to the clinic. People had started to close their shop and going back from work. There were barely anybody she met on her way back. She bit her lower lip and prayed that she could make it safely back to the clinic.

"Orihime! What took you so long! I am so worried!"

Ishida-san had been waiting in front of the clinic, her beautiful face was full of worry. She sighed in relieved when Orihime smiled softly at her, showing her the tofu she had just bought.

"Asagaya was closed today so I went to the next town to buy the tofu..." Orihime said cheerfully, happy that she make it before dinner time, "I am sorry I took so long."

The woman shook her head, "you make me worried! I would have asked Uryuu-san to find you if only he was home."

Orihime smiled gently. Ishida-san's only son was a student and going to have an exam be a medical doctor just like his father, he lived in another district, closer to his cram school, and rarely home, but whenever he got back home he usually would bring something for her. Orihime was so lucky that she could work for Ishida family. Because even though the head of Ishida household, Ryuuken-san, was a bit cold, they all were really nice to her.

"Now, let's get in, it is cold out here. You haven't eaten anything since morning, let's have dinner together!"

Orihime blushed and quickly shook her head, "oh no... thank you... I have to go home soon," she smiled shyly, "My cat, Kon, I need to feed him."

Ishida-san frowned and looked like she was about to say something to make her stay but instead she sighed and nodded, "Okay, I understand, please wait here, I have something for you."

The auburn haired girl had no chance to refuse because the older woman had gone into the house leaving the girl alone. It didn't take so long before the doctor's wife came back with something for the beautiful girl. It was some dumplings and rice cakes. Orihime muttered a thank you before she bowed politely and left. The older woman waved her hand and reminded her to hurry and be careful on her way home.

It was getting dark and Orihime saw noone else on the road at this time. _It must be because of the rumor. _Serial murder who killed young women...

Orihime bit her lower lip and tried not to think about the rumor. It was just a rumor. They said that the murder was not human... She frowned at the thought. Not human. That is absurd. After the Meiji restoration people started to be more open to the outside world. There was that thing, what was it again? A train? Yes a train. In this modern era why would people still believe in such a myth?

'_They killed young women, suck their blood dry to gain eternal life...'_

That was scary indeed.

'_They had beautiful face, so it would be easier for them to tempt the young women before they kill them...'_

Oh no... Orihime tried not to think about the rumor she heard this noon. No, no, no, she should think about other thing. Oh yes, Kon... Her cat, he must be really hungry right now.

Orihime turned left in an intersection. The only way to get home was walk by the river side. It was really dark, and the autumn breeze was cold against her skin. It was almost moon festival soon yet the night sky had been cloudy lately, blocking the moonlight. Orihime looked up to the sky. Could they see the full moon for the moon festival next week?

Suddenly she stopped as she realized that something was shining in the sky.

"What is—"

She couldn't finished her sentence because something fell from the sky.

.

.

.

_Hurt._

Orihime opened her eyes slowly. Her back hurt really bad.

She tried to remember what had just happened to her. She was on her way home and something fell from the sky... She tried to catch it but she ended up losing her balance and fell to the river bank. Orihime blew some of dry grass on her lips. She hoped she didn't break any bone.

"Ugh..."

Something stirred next to her and Orihime quickly moved away from the mysterious figure laid next to her body. Her heart raced as she squinted her eyes to see the figure better. No use. It was too dark Orihime couldn't see _his _face. It was a man, right?

"...ngh..."

His deep voice confirmed it. Yeah, definitely a man.

There were so many things in her head at the time but Orihime decided not to think about anything complicated right now. She decided that she would help this man, whoever he was. She struggled to move that man and glad because despite being unconscious he still managed to stand, though had to lean on her. At least, she could take him home with her that way because there was no way she could carry him with her own strength.

Orihime could smell some familiar yet unknown scent from his body as she took him home. There were so many things in her head as she walked home and before she realized it, she had been home. Kon welcomed her as she dragged the man to the empty room which had been her older brother's room. She patted Kon's head before she prepared the _futon _and laid him on the futon.

"Miawww..."

Orihime giggled at her cat, "I know, I know, you're hungry... Wait for a minute, I will prepare something for you okay?"

She gave extra food for the cat. She felt bad because she had left the cat longer than usual today. She watched the cat eating his foods before she went back to the room where she had left the mysterious man. She lighted a lamp and put it on a small table in the corner of the room. Ever since her brother passed away in the restoration era, Orihime had left the room just like how he left it before he went to the war. She still had his clothes in the cupboard. Even after ten years, she had no heart to throw them away.

Orihime knelt down next to the futon. Now that she had lighted the lamp she could finally see him better and realized that he was bleeding.

She gasped at the realization and quickly left the room only to come back with some clean clothes and water to clean his wound. She put his sword next to his futon before she started tending his wound. His kimono was torn and drenched of his own blood. Slowly she took off his kimono and started to dress his wound. Working in a clinic made her knew what to do in this situation. She often helped Ishida-sensei to nurse some patient so she had seen naked body of a man countless time since she started working there so she should feel shy anymore looking at his bare chest... Right?

The beautiful young woman felt her face reddened as she dressed his wound. She had seen naked men before but never had she seen a body this beautiful before. Her brother was a warrior who fought for Meiji during restoration, he was a samurai and has quite toned body, but even his body didn't look as beautiful as this stranger's.

Her fingers were trembling as she touched his now dressed wound gently out od curiousity. Slowly she moved her finger down to his toned abs. It was so hard and she blushed at the thought.

_Oh, no... I've become a pervert..._

Orihime scolded herself. No, she shouldn't feel like this to a stranger. She didn't know who he was, what should she do if he was someone dangerous?

She licked her lips as she wiped his forehead gently with a clean towel.

He had such a beautiful face. Was he a foreigner? Ever since the restoration, there had been more people from overseas coming to japan. She had seen some foreigner on the street before but noone was this handsome... His hair was brighter than hers, but was he really a foreigner? She had bright hair too but she was not a foreigner, though she had been mistaken as one many times before...

Orihime swallowed. She wondered who this man was. How could he just fell from the sky like that?

She narrowed her eyes as she eyes the dressed wound. He carried a sword. Since few years ago the new government had announce that carrying any sword around was prohibitted. Was he a samurai? His wound looked as if he had been in a sword fight, but with whom?

There were so many questions in her head and suddenly she felt really tired. Before she realized it, she fell aslept.

.

.

.

"_What are you doing here?!"_

_The turquoise eyes met his honey colored eyes. There were blood around his mouth as he smirked, the blue haired man tossed the lifeless body aside as he stood up. He could see anger in those honey eyes but it didn't scare him at all. In fact, it excited him. That man was furious and he liked it that way._

"_I am having dinner, as you can see," he smirked as he licked his lips cleaned from the blood, "what? You look like someone had just fuck you in the ass, Kurosaki."_

"_Grimmjow..." The man called Kurosaki growled, "_THIS _is my area and you're not allowed to hunt around here, you know the rule!"_

_The man called Grimmjow laughed. Of course both of them know that he never followed the rule. He was Grimmjow after all, he could do anything he wanted and nobody could stop him._

"_The rule doesn't bind me, I am ranked higher than you, you should feel honored, someone ranked as high as me willing to hunt in your area."_

_The orange haired man pulled out his sword and before the other man could say anything, he charged._

_._

_._

_._

**Prologue: **

**-Aki no Yoru, Hajimete deau, Ano Otoko-**

**秋の夜**

**初めて出会う**

**あの男**

**(I met that guy for the first time in an autumn night)**


	2. 二人たち お月の下に また出会う

When he woke up in the morning, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar face with a huge grin plastered on it. He cursed as he tried to sat up making the owner of that unfamiliar face hurriedly came to his side to help him. His head was throbbing painfully that he didn't care the woman touched his body, something he normally wouldn't let anyone to do, especially not a mere human... wait, is she really a human? Bright hair... is she one of us?

"Are you okay?"

Orihime was really concerned at the man, for a second he looked like he was lost in thought but the next second he shoved her away and stood up. He groaned when he realized that he was wearing an unfamiliar kimono. A yellow kimono. The man looked around the small room. He didn't recognize the room but he could not find his Hakama anywhere. He gritted his teeth before he turned and glare at the girl.

"Where do you keep my clothes?"

Orihime started. She didn't expect would be angry at her, after what she had done for him. She had been saving his live, for puppy sake! Orihime pouted a little, disappointed. Didn't he knew that it had been so hard for her to take him home? She hadn't slept properly whole night after she finished tending his wound. Didn't he know that for her to take off his clothes and change him into some clean clothes was not an easy thing to do?

"It is torn everywhere and soaked of blood, so I washed it." She added with a heavy sigh, "sit down would you? We don't want your wounds to get worsened." Now that she realized it, the man had been wounded so badly last night, how could he stand normally as if he wasn't hurt?

As if he could read what was in her mind, he smirked, "wound?" he pointed at his bandaged tummy and to her surprised, he pulled off the bandaged roughly. Orihime gasped. _What is he doing?!_

The man shook his head, "I am fine, see? No wound."

"B-but..."

Ichigo groaned, "now i have to leave, where is my clothes?" he walked to the other side of the small room to pick his sword. He looked at the woman from his shoulder and scowled, "I need my clothes, now. "

Orihime sighed, "I told you, I washed it and hang it to dry... It is not yet dry for you to wear. For now, just wear my older brother's clothes, and wait for your clothes to dry, okay?"

The brighter haired man grimmaced, "this yellow thing is your brother's? Are you sure this is not yours?"

Orihime pouted, "If it is mine, it would not fit you, Mister." Orihime sighed, "now can you please sit down, or better, lay down please? Just in case there were some internal bleeding or something..."

At the mention of blood, Ichigo realized something, he rubbed his chin and tilted his head to the side as he eyed the girl from top to toe, making the girl blushed under his gaze. Orihime felt weird when he looked at her like that. Shy? Nervous?

No it was another feeling she couldn't name yet.

"Don't tell me, you're really a human?"

Orihime frowned at the somehow absurd question. That was the first time someone asked her that question. Of course she is a human. Did she really looked awful that someone mistaken her as something not human?

"Of course I am a human!" Orihime wanted to protest more but Ichigo groaned. He palmed his face and gritted his teeth making the girl felt more confused than ever, "what?"

"This is not good. You're a human, damn it." He grabbed his sword and walked to the door hastily, "I gotta go now before those bastards track me down and come here."

"What?!" Orihime couldn't believe her ears. He had just opened his eyes ten minutes ago and he had already planned to leave? "But your wound?"

The man rolled his chocolate eyes as he turned and pats his perfect toned abs, "no wound, see?"

When he turned his body once again and ready to leave, Orihime called him again, "what about your clothes?"

The man just waved his hand as he walked out of the small room.

.

.

Orihime was almost late when she arrived at the clinic later that morning. Thankfully, there hadn't been any patient yet, but to her surprise, instead of the usual Ishida-sensei, it was his son, the handsome and young Ishida-kun who sat behind the table. The young man had been reading a thick book in foreign language—Germany?— before he tilted his head up and smiled gently at the girl.

She was really happy to see him again after so long. She had thought of the young man like a brother. Whenever he came back from Tokyo he always had so many interesting thing to share with her. He would tell her his ride on the train and explain to her how such a big carriage like that could run without any horse pulling it. He would also talk about some new trend in Tokyo, something young people in Tokyo often do to spend their time. The other time, Ishida-kun would read her a book. A story book which was written in English or other language and he would translate it for her.

"Ishida-kun!" Orihime beamed happily as she approached him, kneeling next to the low table, "I don't know you're coming!"

The taller man smiled as he raised a hand to pat her head, earning a wide happy grin from the girl. Ishida-kun patted her gently, "I told mother not to tell you because I want to surprised you..." For a moment, his smiled disappeared, "are you eating right? You seemed to lose some weight..."

Orihime gasped, "I am eating fine, don't worry!" she blushed. Actually, he was right, she had lost some kilograms this month. She hadn't eaten right because the money was kinda tight. She couldn't always depend on the Ishidas for free meal, could she?

However she didn't want to make the older man worried about her. After his brother died, she had made so many people worry about her. Many people suggested her to sell her house and get married into a rich family. Some people event suggested her to get married into the Ishida household. The doctor family didn't really mind about the suggestion too, afterall they have known Orihime for long time now and their only son seemed to really care about the girl. There hadn't been any official offer though but Ishida-san had jokingly asked her to be her daughter-in-law in more tha few occasions. Orihime would only laughed politely at the offer.

"So," Uryu put down his book and looked at the girl seriously, "I heard from mother that you went home late yesterday. You should let somebody took you home if it were too late, or even better, you could spend a night here. It is dangerous for a young women to walk alone during the night..."

Orihime smiled gently, "It wasn't that late... Besides, this area is relative safe, so you don't have to worry too much, Ishida-kun."

The young man shook his head, "you've heard about the recent cases haven't you?"

The younger girl nodded, the smile was still on her face as she tried to assure the man not to worry about her. In this era, people often treated women as if they were all weak and useless, but Orihime knew that what Uryu felt for her was sincere. Besides, she was not weak at all, there had been that one time when Orihime beat a man who tried to take her purse in the market. She hit him straight on the face with the umbrella she had with her. The young Ishida knew very well that the younger woman was not weak but still, it didn't change the fact that he worried about her well being.

"They were not human."

Orihime looked surprised as Uryu opened his book, he had marked some pages and pointed a certain page with his index finger, told her to get closer to see what it was about. Orihime couldn't read the foreign letters, but she could see the drawing. She tilted her face, confused what it meant.

It was human, wasn't it?

As if he could read her mind, the black haired young man shook his head, "no, it wasn't human. They look like us, but not really, they are vampire."

"Vampire?" Orihime tilted her head.

Uryu nodded, his face looked more serious as he explained more to the curious girl, "they drink human's blood. I heard they have beautiful face so they can lure their victim before killing them..." the young man looked into her eyes, "they prefer young and beautiful girl like you, that's why I was worried when mother told me you walked home alone at night..."

Orihime chuckled, oblivious at the hidden meaning in his world, "I can take care of myself, Ishida-kun Don't worry about me."

Uryu sighed, "alright... But let me walk you home after you finish your work today, okay?" he added before she could say anything, "I just wanted to spend more time with you, we need to catch up. I haven't seen you forever."

The auburn haired girl smiled gently, Uryu could be stubborn too if he wanted, "okay, I understand..."

.

"Really, Ichigo, yellow suit you."

"I would kill you one of these days, Renji."

The red haired vampire laughed and the empty threat his bestfriend throw at him. They both knew very well Ichigo didn't really mean that. Renji had known Ichigo for so long time and teasing him had become one of his favorite thing to do when he was, or was not, bored. The tattoed man watched his friend finished tying his hakama and flopped down to the floor. Renji in the other hand was laying on his side, one hand supporting his head while his other hand toyed with a yellow kimono Ichigo had just been wearing until few minutes ago. The red haired vampire sniffed on the fabric and grinned. A woman. He knew that the bright haired vampire had no interest in women, let alone in a human woman but it would always be interesting to tease him.

"So, you spend a night with a woman?"

Ichigo growled, "Renji, stop it. It was a mistake."

Renji lifted his tattooed eyebrow, "don't tell me, you let her alive?"

Ichigo snorted, "why do I have to kill her?"

The red haired vampire groaned, "there are so many reasons! But well, it doesn't matter no, I guess." He shrugged, "now you have spend a night there, your scent must have been all over her place. It was about time before Grimmjow could find his way to her place and let him do the dirty work."

At the mention of his enemy's name, Ichigo groaned, "why would he waste his time on some random human?"

"Well, he could always suck her blood dry," Renji joked, "but then again, you've spent a night with the girl and let her alive and untouched, he might get the wrong idea..."

Ichigo paused a moment before looked at his friend, "what do you mean?"

"He might think to use her to against you..." Renji laughed, "don't you think you might save the girl before Grimmy could do anything to harm her?"

Ichigo snorted again.

"He could do anything to that human, I don't care."

Renji laughed.

He knew his friend better than that.

_Like hell he didn't care._

.

.

.

Futari tachi, otsuki no shita ni, mata deau

**二人たち**

**お月の下に**

**また出会う**

(Both of us meet again under the moon)


End file.
